I refer to Dr Desmond Wai's letter, "Can Govt help family physicians procure drugs for cheaper price?" (May 23), on whether family physicians can get help to procure drugs for cheaper.

Dr Wai wrote that if his clinic could procure medication at a lower price, patients would benefit from lower medication costs.

I believe the better way to lower medication costs for patients is to change the system here to a prescription drugs system, which is commonly used overseas.

In a prescription drugs system, doctors would not sell drugs to patients but would prescribe the required drugs for the patients to buy from any authorised pharmacy.

The patient thus has the choice of procuring drugs from the most competitive pharmacy, and would pay less.

Ng Teow Keng